ISBN number: X9-34/2015E-PDF

978-0-660-02448-6

October 22, 2014:

House of Commons
Incident Response Summary
Report for Parliamentarians, Employees, and the Parliament Hill Community

Contents
Message from the Speaker of the House of Commons ................................................................................ 1
Joint Message from the Acting Clerk and the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms ..................................................... 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Reviews ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Incident in Brief ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Response of House of Commons Protective Service following October 22, 2014 ...................................... 7

Appendix A: Security Governance on Parliament Hill................................................................................. 13

Appendix B: Mandate and History of the House of Commons Protective Service ..................................... 14
Appendix C: Constituency Office Security .................................................................................................. 16

Message from the Speaker of the House of Commons

At the outset of this report, I would like to once again acknowledge the incredible courage and heroism
displayed by all security forces on October 22, 2014, including the members of the Senate and House of
Commons Protective Services, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the City of Ottawa Police. Their
quick response and action that day prevented an even more tragic conclusion to the days events. It was
truly a team effort. Our thoughts remain with all who were injured and affected and with the family and
loved ones of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo who tragically lost his life.
Parliament Hill is the very heart of Canadas democratic system of government. It houses both
Chambers of our Parliament, is a workplace to thousands of employees, and welcomes millions of
visitors and tourists each year. There is a long and proud tradition of openness as Canadians and visitors
have access to the grounds and can tour some of the most important buildings.
The terrorist attack on October 22 shook everyone in our parliamentary community and indeed
Canadians across the country. Immediately following the attack many important reviews were initiated
and many enhancements have been made to the physical security, security systems, and operational
readiness of our security forces on Parliament Hill. Throughout this process the security of
parliamentarians, employees and visitors has been our utmost priority. I believe that going forward we
can achieve a balance ensuring the continued security of Parliament Hill while maintaining open access
for members of the public.
I asked that this report be compiled in order to provide assurances to parliamentarians, employees and
visitors that they will continue to be safe on Parliament Hill. This report also details the considerable
work which has been done and the progress which has been made towards reviewing and enhancing
security in the Parliamentary Precinct.
We will certainly never forget the tragic events of October 22, however, I believe that these reports
convincingly demonstrate that we have learned important lessons and taken considerable action to help
ensure that this type of tragedy is avoided in the future.

Hon. Andrew Scheer, M.P.

Speaker of the House of Commons

Joint Message from the Acting Clerk

and the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms
October 22, 2014, is a day that will never be forgotten within the Parliament Hill community.
What is most important for us and for the men and women of the House of Commons Protective Service
is that we worked with our security partners towards the common goal of eliminating the threat that
penetrated the safety of the centre of Canadas democracy: the armed suspect was engaged
immediately upon entering our front doors. The security forces all acknowledged each others presence,
converged towards the target and neutralized the threat in less than two minutes.
Yes, there were gaps. We have taken action, and continue to take action, to make improvements.
This report is a summary of those gaps and actions that we can disclose publicly without compromising
security. Although we have a fundamental commitment to transparency, unfortunately, we cannot
provide more information than that which is presented here as it could be used towards malicious ends.
The highest priority must be placed on protecting our security posture for the sake of parliamentarians,
employees, international dignitaries, and visitors from far and wide who are in this place every day.
While many steps have been taken, this should not provide the impression that the House of Commons
Protective Service was unprepared to respond to a security threat of this magnitude. Indeed, a number
of the measures discussed here had been in development with security partners prior to the incident.
The security reviews undertaken and underway have informed the ongoing improvements.
We remain committed to ensuring that Parliament remains open and secure.

Marc Bosc
Acting Clerk

Patrick McDonell
Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms and
Director General, Protective Service

Introduction
Following October 22, 2014, the House of Commons was cautious not to provide detailed comments or
analysis on the events that took place within Centre Block prior to a comprehensive security assessment
and review.
Any information that is shared with the public will always be subject to a stringent review to ensure that
its release would not compromise the safety and security of everyone on Parliament Hill.
This report provides an overview of the reviews that have been commissioned, a briefing on the incident
itself and detailed information on the response of the House of Commons Protective Service. Additional
context on security governance on Parliament Hill, the mandate and history of the House of Commons
Protective Services and constituency office security is provided in the appendices.

Reviews
Following October 22, 2014, a series of reviews have been initiated at the request of the Speaker of the
House of Commons and the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The reviews have been conducted by external and internal experts, in order to learn and improve from
the actions undertaken on October 22, 2014 and the days that followed.
These reviews are:

Independent Investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police into the Death of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.

Independent Investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police into the RCMP Security Posture on
Parliament Hill.

Internal Security Review of the Events of October 22, 2014, prepared by the House of Commons
Protective Service.

Physical Security Review of the House of Commons Precinct, commissioned by the House of
Commons from Defence Research and Development Canada Centre for Security Science, forensics
and other partners.

Lessons Learned Exercise on Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Communications and Support for
the House of Commons Community as conducted by an independent firm at the request of the
House of Commons. Results are being informed by in-depth interviews with key players, and all
Members, their staff, political research office staff and House Administration employees have been
invited to complete a detailed survey.

After Action Review on External Engagement and Coordination: Parliament Hill Incident on October
22nd, 2014, led by the RCMP with partner agencies.

Incident in Brief
On October 22, 2014, at approximately 9:50 a.m., Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed Cpl. Nathan
Cirillo. Cirillo was posted at the National War Memorial and was unarmed.
Zehaf-Bibeau entered Parliament Hill at the Elgin Street Gate and proceeded to run through the grounds
by East Block. After commandeering a vehicle, he drove to the west side of the Peace Tower and
entered Centre Block through the front doors.
Once inside the building, Zehaf-Bibeau was confronted by House of Commons Protective Service
personnel. Following a struggle during which one of the Protective Service officers was injured, ZehafBibeau ran up the stairs to the Rotunda and exchanged gunfire with House of Commons Protective
Service personnel.
Zehaf-Bibeau then ran north along the Hall of Honour, ultimately attempting to conceal himself behind a
stone pillar. After another exchange of gunfire, Zehaf-Bibeau was approached by members of the House
of Commons Protective Service and members of the RCMP.
The now former Sergeant-at-Arms and a member of the RCMP fired shots that forensic analysis
determined were rapidly fatal and that killed Zehaf-Bibeau. In total, Zehaf-Bibeau had 31 gunshot
wounds, two of which were rapidly fatal with several others independently fatal without prompt
medical attention.
All shooting ceased less than two minutes after Zehaf-Bibeau entered the building and around three
minutes from the time he ran onto Parliament Hill.
The independent investigation conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police concluded that the involved
members were justified in discharging their firearms and in the use of lethal force resulting in the death
of Zehaf-Bibeau.
Parliamentarians, employees, and visitors who were in the building during the incident were collected
and moved to secure rooms during initial sweeps. It was unclear during the incident whether the attack
was the act of an individual working alone or in concert with others. As a result, all those inside Centre
Block were held in the secure rooms throughout the day and evacuations were delayed. Evacuations
from Centre Block were also complicated by the need to protect the crime scene in the Hall of Honour
and Rotunda.
The initial evacuation began at 4:45 p.m., with the majority of the evacuations starting at 7:30 p.m. All
evacuations were completed by 10:10 p.m.
5

Parliament resumed as per its typical sitting schedule on October 23, 2014. The grounds were open to
the public as of the morning of October 25, 2014. Public tours resumed and the House of Commons
galleries re-opened on October 27, 2014.

Response of House of Commons Protective Service

following October 22, 2014
The House of Commons Protective Service undertook an extensive review of its response during and
immediately following the incident. The Service has also thoroughly analyzed the security measures in
place for buildings within its jurisdiction.
Although internal reviews indicated that many best practices were followed, they also highlighted areas
where improvements might be made in order to better ensure the security of parliamentarians,
employees and visitors.
In the days, weeks and months that followed October 22, 2014, many enhancements have been made
to the physical security, security systems, and the operational readiness of security forces on Parliament
Hill by addressing areas identified as part of reviews.
Identified issues and the actions taken are provided under key themes. For security reasons, the
information that follows is a high-level description of some of the steps that have been taken in
collaboration with our security partners. Providing specific information about physical security or
security practices could jeopardize the safety and security of the Parliamentary Precinct as well as
Protective Service members and their partners.

INTEROPERABILITY
Identified Issue: Improved operational coordination between all security forces is required.
Response: The Senate and House of Commons Protective Services and the RCMP have significantly
increased operational interoperability. Actions have included the creation of a Joint Senior Management
Committee bringing together senior members of all three organizations to enhance coordination efforts
in advance of any crisis and to ensure daily coordination. Frequent operations and intelligence updates
occur among all three partners. Senate and House of Commons personnel are now embedded within
each others operations.

Identified Issue: Governance changes are required to improve operational interoperability.

Response: On November 25, 2014, the establishment of a unified security force for the Senate and the
House of Commons was announced.
Following this decision, the Senate and House of Commons Protective Services have been actively
assessing how both services could rapidly combine their efforts to move towards a unified service
without impacting the overall operational security posture of Parliament Hill or other strategic
considerations. Both services have already combined their requirements and are collaborating
extensively on the development and implementation of all enhanced security measures that were
identified following October 22. In addition, both services identified a series of initiatives that could be
implemented quickly with a view to creating a unified protective service.
The Joint Working Group on Security, comprised of parliamentarians, remained focussed on unifying the
security services of the Senate and the House of Commons. Both Houses continued to work closely with
the RCMP via the Master Security Planning Office, daily joint operational meetings, weekly joint senior
security officials meetings and ongoing communications between the Director General of Parliamentary
Precinct Services, the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms and Director General of House of Commons Protective
Service, as well as the Assistant Commissioner, RCMP National Division.
The following motion was adopted in the House of Commons on February 16, 2015 and in the Senate on
February 24, 2015:
That [the Senate / this House], following the terrorist attack of October 22, 2014, recognize the
necessity of fully integrated security throughout the Parliamentary precinct and the grounds of
Parliament Hill, as recommended by the Auditor General in his 2012 report and as exists in other
peer legislatures; and call on the Speaker, in coordination with his counterpart in the [House of
Commons / Senate], to invite, without delay, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to lead
operational security throughout the Parliamentary precinct and the grounds of Parliament Hill,
while respecting the privileges, immunities and powers of the respective Houses, and ensuring
the continued employment of our existing and respected Parliamentary Security staff.
These changes built upon on the advances towards interoperability that had been made by the three
organizations since 2009 with the implementation of the tripartite Master Security Plan.

Identified Issue: Improved radio communication among all security forces is required.
Response: Although both the Senate and House of Commons Protective Services have an RCMP radio in
their Operations and Communications Centres for communications between agencies, immediately
following the incident security and police forces from multiple jurisdictions (Senate Protective Service,
House of Commons Protective Service, multiple divisions of the RCMP and the Ottawa Police Service)
responded, making communications interoperability difficult.
The Senate and House Protective Services have since combined radio communications, leading to
greater interoperability inside the buildings; however, challenges remain with regard to communications
interoperability with the RCMP. Discussions are underway to resolve this issue in both the short and
long term.

EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING

Identified Issue: A review should be performed of the various tools and equipment available to the House
of Commons Protective Service.
Response: Although House of Commons Protective Service members who were part of a specialized unit
were armed at the time of the incident, a number of unarmed personnel were in place in Centre Block.
Prior to October 22, 2014, a project had been initiated to arm all House of Commons Protective Service
members. The timelines were advanced in order to increase the ability to respond to life-threatening
incidents and funding for the equipment and the training was approved by the Board of Internal
Economy. This initiative will be completed by summer 2015.
Identified Issue: A review of Protective Service training should be performed.
Response: House of Commons Protective Service personnel are highly trained and highly capable. In
order to invest in this personnel, plans are being put in place to provide additional training. This
includes: enhanced defensive tactics, behavioural analysis, and other technics that will improve the
capabilities and capacities of House of Commons Protective Service personnel. A physical fitness
standard has also been implemented.
Training standards between both the Senate and House of Commons Protective Services have been
aligned.

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AND AWARENESS

Identified Issue: On October 22, 2014, many parliamentarians, employees, and visitors were kept in
secure locations for several hours. The flow of information to these individuals was limited.
Response: On October 22 and in the days that followed, numerous corporate messages were sent to
Members, their staff, political research office employees and House Administration employees,
providing bilingual information to the community. These corporate messages were sent using email lists
and were most useful for those users with a mobile device or at a computer. As a result, the information
did not reach all intended recipients.
The Senate and House of Commons have deployed an Emergency Notification System (ENS) that will be
able to rapidly transmit messages and instructions for all parliamentarians, staff, and employees on the
Hill. The ENS allows the Protective Services of both Houses to quickly alert the parliamentary community
in the event of a crisis or emergency via multiple delivery mechanisms.
Further to extensive data collection and customization for the unique environment of Parliament Hill,
the roll-out of the ENS to Senators and Members has begun. The ENS will continue to be rolled out
progressively to the entire parliamentary community.
Identified Issue: There is a need for an improved security awareness program.
Response: The security awareness program for parliamentarians and employees is being reinforced and
enhanced. This program will include drills and training to help ensure that all individuals are aware of
what to expect should they ever be part of a future lockdown or any other security situation.
A corporate communications strategy has been implemented for security updates to ensure that
information is conveyed in a timely and consistent manner. Articles published through internal
communication mechanisms will continue to be issued regularly to the Parliament Hill community.
Awareness sessions will also continue to be offered to employees, as will awareness activities scheduled
throughout the year. Emergency procedures and safeguards have been revised for clarity and are widely
available to the House of Commons community.
Identified Issue: A review of contingency plans must be performed.
Response: Immediately following the October 22 incident, all contingency plans and operational
protocols for use during lockdowns were reviewed and amended where necessary.

10

PHYSICAL SECURITY
Identified Issue: The first point of contact between security personnel and visitors coming to Centre Block
should occur prior to visitors entering the building.
Response: Within a few days of October 22, security posts were created outside Centre Block to provide
a contact point with visitors outside of the building and to allow security personnel to conduct cursory
checks prior to visitors entering the building.
Identified Issue: Parliament building entrance points were accessible 24 hours per day.
Response: As a result of the review, a decision was made to lock the doors between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
and anyone seeking entry during these hours can now make use of a video intercom to communicate
with Protective Service personnel.
Identified Issue: A review of physical security for meeting rooms is required.
Response: Several steps have been taken, with more underway to enhance the physical security
measures of meeting rooms to ensure the safety of all parliamentarians.

ACCESS AND VISITORS

Identified Issue: Restrictions should be applied to the size of bags that visitors are allowed to bring into
Centre Block.
Response: Since May 13, 2015, visitors are only permitted to bring one bag into the Parliament buildings,
measuring no more than 35.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 19 cm (14 x 12 x 7.5). Bag check services are offered at
no charge at 90 Wellington Street, across from Parliament Hill.
Identified Issue: Access to the Peace Tower and Memorial Chamber by visitors is not controlled.
Response: As of May 13, 2015, tickets are required to visit the Peace Tower, the Memorial Chamber,
and the East Block. Tickets also continue to be required for parliamentary tours. Tickets are available
free of charge at 90 Wellington Street, across from Parliament Hill.
Identified Issue: The number of visitors allowed to enter Centre Block is too high during caucus meetings.
Response: Tours have been cancelled when political parties are engaged in their weekly caucus
meetings. Additional security measures have also been put in place to enhance security during these
meetings, including an increased RCMP and House of Commons Protective Service presence.

11

Identified Issue: Scanning practices need to be reviewed to ensure that industry best practices are being
followed.
Response: Although the scanning equipment was recently upgraded to ensure best in class technology,
further enhancements are recommended. Discussions took place with the Canadian Air Transport
Security Agency (CATSA) to learn about their best practices. Some of those practices are now being
implemented.
Identified Issue: Deployment of front-line staff should be reviewed.
Response: RCMP presence has been increased both inside and outside Centre Block, working
collaboratively with the House of Commons Protective Service and the Senate Protective Service.
Additional security personnel has also been stationed near entrances.

12

Appendix A: Security Governance on Parliament Hill

The Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1 (Bill C-59) was tabled in the House of Commons on May 7,
2015. The Act includes a division that amends the Parliament of Canada Act to create a separate office
called the Parliamentary Protective Service, which will be under the joint responsibility of the Speaker of
the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons as the custodians of the privileges of their
respective Houses and their members.
The following motion was adopted by the Senate on February 24, 2015 and by the House of Commons
on February 16, 2015:
That [the Senate / this House], following the terrorist attack of October 22, 2014, recognize the
necessity of fully integrated security throughout the Parliamentary precinct and the grounds of
Parliament Hill, as recommended by the Auditor General in his 2012 report and as exists in other
peer legislatures; and call on the Speaker, in coordination with his counterpart in the [House of
Commons / Senate], to invite, without delay, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to lead
operational security throughout the Parliamentary precinct and the grounds of Parliament Hill,
while respecting the privileges, immunities and powers of the respective Houses, and ensuring
the continued employment of our existing and respected Parliamentary Security staff.
Following the adoption of this motion on integrated security, the Speaker engaged in discussions with
the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Speaker of the Senate.
While neither the Speaker nor the House of Commons Administration can comment specifically on
legislation that is currently before the House, further to the motion considerable progress has been
made towards an agreement to have the RCMP lead physical security services throughout the
Parliamentary Precinct and on Parliament Hill. Additional details will be shared in due course.
This agreement will build on the advances towards interoperability that have been made by the three
organizations since 2009 with the implementation of a tripartite Master Security Plan.
Parliamentary security operations have become more efficient and parliamentary security has continued
to improve and evolve, leading up to the decision by the Senate and the House to unify their Protective
Services in November 2014. More information on this announcement is available in the joint statement
from the Joint Advisory Working Group on Security on Parliament of Canada Security Unification.

13

Appendix B: Mandate and History of the House of Commons Protective

Service
The events of October 22, 2014, have precipitated and expedited significant changes to the security
model on Parliament Hill.
This mandate and history of the Protective Service is provided as background information.
Protective Service
Mandate

The Protective Service proudly protects all Members of the House of

Commons, employees and visitors, maintains order, enforces parliamentary
rules and procedures, and promotes security and safety measures in all
buildings of the House of Commons.

Vision

To ensure a safe, secure and inviting environment for all those who enter
the Parliamentary Precinct.
Respect Recognize and foster respectful relationships with the public,
clients, security partners and amongst colleagues.

Values

Accountability Openly and constructively evaluate our work efforts at all

levels against the highest standards while respecting and identifying best
practices recommended by others.
Teamwork and Partnership Work together to achieve common goals with
well-defined roles and responsibilities.

The House of Commons Protective Service has approximately 300 full-time equivalents, which includes
security officers and administration staff.
The Protective Service takes a multi-layered, intelligence-led approach to security to minimize
vulnerabilities. Security measures are driven by a threat and risk analysis process and, where available,
intelligence provided by our security partners. This approach creates an integrated defence by deploying
staff to critical control points and mobile patrols; using building design to maximize sightlines, improve
stand-offs and provide containment for incidents; and using security systems to provide additional
circulation control, monitor sensitive points and provide real-time information for command and control
of incident response as well as valuable forensic data. It is important to design security measures that
reflect the decorum of the institution and maintain an open and welcoming feel for citizens while
providing effective protection for Parliament.

14

Key aspects of the Protective Services mandate include the implementation of the Master Security Plan,
which was developed by the House, the Senate and the RCMP to guide the overall direction of security
in the short, medium and long term within the Parliamentary Precinct. The buildings that host
parliamentary functions are often heritage structures and were not originally designed with security in
mind. Activities in the Master Security Plan are spread over a 25-year period and are implemented
simultaneously with the LTVP, a massive restoration and renovation project aimed at bringing the
Parliament buildings into the 21st century. The schedule is flexible and takes into account the
contributions of other partners, such as Public Works and Government Services Canada.
The service is led by Patrick McDonell, Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms and Director General, Protective
Service. Mr. McDonell joined the House Administration in August 2014, having served in the RCMP for
over 30 years and with the Senate Protective Service for 3.5 years. Mr. McDonell retired from the RCMP
as the Assistant Commissioner in charge of protective policing for Canada, which among other things,
oversees the protection of the Prime Minister.
The House of Commons Protective Service was established in 1920 by an Act of Parliament, to protect
the institution, its Members and the Parliamentary Precinct.

BARGAINING UNITS
The Protective Service Bargaining Unit at the House of Commons is represented by the Security Services
Employees Association (SSEA). This was established on March 24, 1987, following certification by the
Public Service Staff Relations Board. Currently the bargaining unit has 216 members, which includes all
House of Commons Protective Officers at the Constable, Corporal, and Sergeant ranks.
The Scanner Group Bargaining Unit at the House of Commons is represented by the Public Service
Alliance of Canada (PSAC). This was established on December 11, 2003, following certification by the
Public Service Staff Relations Board. Currently the bargaining unit has 50 members, which includes all
Scanner Operators and Scanner Supervisors under the House of Commons Protective Service.

15

Appendix C: Constituency Office Security

While the focus of this report is on Parliament Hill security, efforts have been made to enhance security
measures for Members constituency offices. This information is provided for additional context.
The Constituency Office Security Improvement initiativein place since November 5, 2014includes
outreach to local police services, the establishment of a central budget to cover the purchase or upgrade
of security systems in constituency offices, and conducting security assessments.
Security Assessments
Members who feel that additional measures are required can contact the Security Project Management
Office for advice on issues such as appropriate office security measures and office location, or to request
an on-site security assessment.
Advanced security measures identified as a result of a security assessment coordinated through the
Security Project Management Office will be covered by the Houses central budget.
Outreach to Local Police Forces
The Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms and Director General, Protective Service has contacted many local police
departments in communities where constituency offices are located to request that these premises be
regularly patrolled and included on the priority response list.
This has generated an excellent response from the police departments and opened new lines of
communication across the country to help ensure the safety of parliamentarians.
Members residences will also be regularly included on the priority response list.
Purchase or Upgrade of Security Systems in Constituency Offices
Members have been strongly encouraged to install a security system or to upgrade existing systems, as
well as add video intercom controlled access to see and speak to visitors prior to allowing them to enter.
Any monthly fees incurred as a result of these enhanced security systems will be charged to the
Members Office Budget.

16